How to choose your Wedding Venue

Some consider this the hardest part of wedding planning, but it doesn’t have to be.

Follow this step by step guide for everything you need to consider when choosing your venue.

1. Basics - what do you need from your venue ?

Budget - create a definite maximum spend to enable you to be able to see which venues sit where.

Location - a venue that is easily accessible, has accommodation on site or hotels in close proximity is best to ensure all of your guests comfort.

Priorty list - are you having a Civil Ceremony/ Church Service / Celebrant?

- Is accommodating important to you?

- Do you want Exclusivity if the venue or are you happy for other weddings to be taking place?

-Is corkage option important?

-Candles being lit/fireworks/ sparklers? Is this something you can’t imagine yours Wedding without?

- Does the venue permit confetti?

Once you’ve made your list of priorities - you’ll know what your looking for and what you can and can’t compromise on.

2. Being certain about what the venue offers - be crystal clear on their offering.

- how long do you have use for?

- exactly what is included in your package?

- are there noise restrictions?

- what are the licensing hours for the bar?

- who is responsible for the clear up?

- what time are we permitted to set up? Is it before the hire period or from the start time of hire?

3. View the venue set up as it would be for at a a wedding at a showcase, open day, wedding fair or other event - photographs are great and give you a great visual as most viewings take place when there aren’t events on, it will mean you’ll be viewing an empty room which can make you think it’ll be too big/ or small etc.

4. Does it fit with your theme?

Does the venue work with your wedding aesthetics? It would be odd to place shabby chic in a beautiful stately home and equally to put all our glamour in a barn, it’s not unheard of and some variations on these will of course work;

If you and your partner love the outdoors perhaps a marquee or a castle with vast grounds would be perfect, if you’re looking for modern space a warehouse or gallery would work best.

5. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the timeline of your day and how it will run spherically at your venue - room turn around time is crucial to know about. Other things to consider along this train of thought are;

• weather contingency plan

• whether you have a dedicated coordinator or event manager for the day to oversee you wedding

• if you are hoping to get ready in the venues bridal suite, if it’s a hotel venue, you will need to the night prior or check in time on the Wedding day will be normally be between 2pm-4pm.

Conversely if it’s a venue that’s not a hotel and you’d like to stay the night before the wedding, do check they have availability as they may have other events / weddings booked.